Endoscopy studies the intraluminal aspects of hollow organs of the upper and lower intestine including the esophagus, stomach and the colon through cannulation of the lumen via the mouth or anus. Endoscopic polypectomy is presently limited to a submucosal resection. The endoscopist is often unable to completely resect a sessile polyp or lesion and therefore the patient is subjected to subsequent definitive surgery, i.e. resection of the base of the tumor. Endoscopic polypectomy can be used to debulk sessile masses but it is unable to resect mural disease. Incomplete resection of a sessile polyp may destroy the biopsy specimen and alter the relationship of the gross specimen given to the pathologist thereby resulting in the pathologist possibly providing incorrect or incomplete study results. The endoscopist is also unable to correct uncommon, but life threatening, procedural complications such as perforations. Other cases where resection is required are invasive tumors, perforation from different causes, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulosis and others.
Surgical approaches for resecting diseased tissue are largely practiced by making large laparotomy incisions or using minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopic surgery in which tissues are resected and repaired through small incisions.
There are numerous surgical devices enabling surgeons to resect diseased tissue and subsequently anastomose remaining tissue either through a conventional incision or using a laparoscope and making one or more relatively small incisions. Additionally, endoscopically assisted stapling devices are known which enable surgeons to remotely anastomose lumenal structures such as the bowel. Endoscopically assisted bowel anastomosis nevertheless typically requires extralumenal assistance via a traditional laparotomy incision or use of a laparoscope.
Trends in surgery are towards minimally invasive procedures as evidenced by developments including laparoscopic cholecystectomy, laparoscopic appendectomy and laparoscopically assisted partial colectomies and hernia repairs. All of these minimally invasive procedures involve introducing a laparoscope through the abdominal wall and creating other associated openings to gain access to the peritoneal cavity in order to perform the necessary surgical procedure. Typically, general anesthesia is required. Endoscopically possible procedures include polypectomy, mucosectomy, and cauterization. During “laparoscopic colectomy” today the colon is separated from its omentum laparoscopically and then the colon is exteriorized out of the abdominal cavity, through a laparotomy incision where the resection and anastomosis are performed extracorporeally.
Disadvantages of the laparoscopic method include the need to traverse the abdominal wall, increased operating time secondary to the lack of exposure for the procedure and possibly the need to convert to an “open” laparotomy in the course of performing the procedure.
Present stapling techniques in surgery are for the most part functionally adequate but limited. Devices exist including the GIA and EEA staplers which can be used to transect tissue in a linear or circular fashion, respectively, with subsequent anastomosis with staples. The linear GIA is relatively versatile. The EEA is primarily suited for lower colonic circular anastomosis after a lesion has been surgically removed (via laparotomy or laparoscopically) or during a colostomy takedown procedure.
The rigid post of the EEA stapler severely limits its use, as well as requiring that an open procedure be utilized. The steerable endoscopic stapler is useful in allowing for more bowel accessibility; however, it remains dependent upon transabdominal surgical exposure prior to utilization. While laparoscopic surgical instruments have been used for bowel anastomosis, in such procedures the bowel is exteriorized through the laparoscopic incision and anastomosed extracorporeally or in an augmented stapled side-to-side fashion.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,868,760 and 6,264,086 describe a method and apparatus for performing endolumenal resection of tissue, in particular for removal of diseased portions of a patient's colon. This purely endolumenal approach to colostomy does not fully address the surgical anatomy of the colon. As is well known, the colon and other viscera are connected and supported within the abdomen by the omentum, a membranous extension of the peritoneum that carries the blood supply to the colon. Resection of more than a small portion of the colon requires mobilization of the colon from the omentum and ligation or cauterization of the blood vessels supplying that portion of the colon. This aspect is not addressed by the endolumenal approach described; therefore it would be suitable for resecting only small portions of the colon.
Commonly owned and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/790,204 filed Feb. 20, 2001 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,468,203); Ser. No. 09/969,927 filed Oct. 2, 2001; and Ser. No. 10/229,577 filed Aug. 27, 2002, describe steerable colonoscopes that uses serpentine motion to facilitate rapid and safe insertion of the colonoscope into a patient's colon. The technology described therein can also be used in conjunction with the methods and apparatus of the present invention to facilitate endoscopic colectomy or resection of any other part of the gastrointestinal system including, but not limited to, the esophagus, duodenum, jejunum and ileum or any other tubular organ like the bronchus. These patents and patent applications, and all other patents and patent applications referred to herein, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.